Bulletin Yitro

Welcome • ohtcv ohfurc
Shabbat Shalom • ouka ,ca
Shabbat Parshat Yitro
24 Shvat 5784 • February 3, 2024
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Yahrtzeiten
Feb 4
Feb 5
Feb 6
Feb 7
Feb 9
Anniversaries
Alan Rosenberg, Joel Engel
Alan Doft
Linda Scheinberg
Francine Kaufman
Jaclynn Faffer, Pablo Sando
Feb 2 Kate & lya Prizel (50)
vfrck oburfz
Feb 3 • 24 Shvat Adolph Margulies – Father of Ed Margulies
Feb 4 • 25 Shvat Rose Rosenthal – Mother of Harvey Rosenthal
Fannye Berman – Mother of Judith Lipnick
Jack Scheffler – Father of Neil Scheffler
Feb 5 • 26 Shvat Evelyn Blazar – Mother of Andrew Blazar
Feb 6 • 27 Shvat Miriam Geist – Mother of Sam Geist
Feb 7 • 28 Shvat Robert Kessler – Brother of Jo Anne Burka
Feb 8 • 29 Shvat Shirley Ansel – Mother of Phyllis Garon
Feb 9 • 30 Shvat Harvey Ansel – Father of Phyllis Garon
Birthdays
jna `skuv ouh
Shabbat Kiddush Sponsored by:
Joel & Elinor Weiss
IN memory of Elinor’s mother,
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MOlly Forman
Mavens:
Shelley Goodman
Assisted by:
Rosalee Bogo, Sharon Castro, Elaine Kamin,
Leslie Kinrys, Nancy Garfinkle, Arlene Levin,
Paulette Margulies, Lisa Rich, Liuva Sando,
Arleen Sivakoff, Jill Valesky, Dottie Wagner
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Sponsor a Kiddush
Contact Arleen Sivakoff: 239.455.8811 - dsivakoff@aol.com
Contact Arleen Sivakoff: 239.455.8811 • dsivakoff@aol.com

Torah & Haftarah Readings:
Shabbat Yitro: Exodus 18:1–20:23 (Cycle 2) (Etz Hayim p. 432)
1. 18:1-12 2. 18:13-23 3. 18:24-27 4. 19:1-6
5. 19:7-19 6. 19:20-20:14 7. 20:15-23 M. 20:19-23 (p. 449)
Torah Commentary
D’var Torah:
Haftarah: Isaiah 6:1 - 7:6 (p. 452)
The Shaking Keeps Me Steady - Bex Stern-Rosenblatt
Jethro arrives before Moses knows he needs him. All Moses has known,
all Moses has done, is to interface with God and lead us. He has done
it night and day, with no respite. He has forgone family life, forgone
any sort of pleasure, in order to bear our nation. It’s understandable.
Until this parashah, we were still in survival mode, trying to escape
the Egyptians. One does not prioritize self-care when battling for one’s
life. But now we’ve made it out of the proverbial woods and into the
wilderness. Now we need to set up a system that allows us to live, not
just to survive. But Moses is stuck, still working twenty-four hour shifts,
still looking over his shoulder for disaster. He does not complain; he
does not ask for help. Yet we will not be able to be free until Moses
stops living in the shadow of Egypt.
Jethro arrives and sees this. Jethro arrives and helps Moses to put down
his burden. He explains that Moses cannot go on living the way he has
been. It works for a time, but not as a way of life. He says, “The thing
is too heavy (KaVeD) for you, you will not be able to do it alone.” The
thing Jethro is directly referencing is Moses acting as judge for the
nation. However, the word heavy has greater resonance for Moses and
for our story. Just before Jethro appeared, we fought Amalek. Although
we were the ones fighting, we won only so long as Moses held his hands
in the air. This is not an easy thing to do. His hands grew heavy. Moses
does not ask for help. But each time his hands sink, we start losing the
fight. So Aaron and Hur come up to Moses and hold up his hands.
They support him. The task of leading is literally too heavy for Moses
in this case. And he is held up by his supporters.
Moses is aware of how awesome, how heavy a task God gives him. At
the burning bush, Moses tried to turn it down, saying, “for I am heavymouthed
and heavy-tongued.” Moses demures, saying he can scarcely
carry his own heft, how is he to carry that of a nation. He has enough
going on internally without looking for external problems. Once again,

the answer is help from others. God sends Aaron to Moses, puts Aaron
as a support for Moses’s heavy mouth.
Moses has always been and will always be supported. Jethro makes
Moses aware of it. Jethro lets Moses exit the panic and see all those who
have been helping him and who will continue to help him. Jethro coaxes
Moses into recognizing this. Next time the people start complaining
about Manna, in the Book of Numbers, Moses will be able to go to God
and honestly report that he is not able to bear the people alone, it is too
heavy for him. And God will let Moses get help.
Moses bears a heavy burden, but we surround him, we lift him up and
carry it with him.
By contrast, Pharaoh too carried a heavy burden. He too led a nation,
a people, alone. And it was too heavy for him. Rather than recognize
this, rather than ask for help, Pharaoh relished the heaviness. He made
his own heart heavy. God sent the heaviness against him, we see the
word repeating in the descriptions of the plagues. And God made
Pharaoh’s heart heavy. The Egyptians were not there for Pharaoh. They
did not carry him, they could not lift him up. The system of governance
in Egypt was such that no one could help Pharaoh bear the burden of
leadership. So the heaviness broke Pharaoh and it broke Egypt.
As we prepare to create our own system of governance, we do so as a
nation who supports each other. We have always been there, holding
Moses up. Jethro comes in to warn Moses not to be like Pharaoh, he
encourages Moses to look around and see those who have been helping
him carry the burden. In this way, each carrying each other, we can do
more than survive. We can live.
February 20 th
7:30 p.m.
“Not Just a Hagaddah”
Neil Adelman
The art of Arthur Szyk, Polish-born Jewish artist who
worked primarily as a book illustrator and political artist
throughout his career.
lecture will be streamed via
for those who request access in advance

HEROS First FUND Sunday of the Hebrew Month – SHVAT
• Stuart & Carol Mest • June Sochen
Mitchell Eil • Marcia & David
Goldsteen/Cohodes • Stanley &
Rosh Chodesh Study Group
February 11th - 10:00 a.m. ET
Facilitator:
Sue Paul
The Session will be streamed via
For additional information please contact Linda Wertheim at werthla@gmail.com
20 Participants will make their own
hamantaschen under the direction of
Arlene Levin at her home on
Wednesday March 13, 2024 at 2:00 p.m.
Everyone will go home with their own batch!
RSVP as soon as possible. Cost per person $25
Deadline for registration is Friday, March 8
847-309-9193 or arlevin_99@yahoo.com
Jewish Jazz
March 12 th
7:00 p.m.
… returns to
Beth Tikvah.

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 4 th
“Remembering
Gene Wilder”
1:00 p.m.
This highly anticipated documentary explores the life and
career of the legendary comedic actor revealing insights
into his life and career with many astonishing surprises.
Gene Wilder, the prolific actor and screenwriter, is
known all over the world for his endearing roles in classic
films. Featuring rare never-before-seen home videos and
memorable scenes from our favorite films.
SPECIAL FEATURE
“The Boy” – (Israeli Short)
Sponsors:

The Gerald Sager Memorial
Scholar in Residence
Shabbat with
Rabbi Irving Elson
March 8 th & 9 th
As a compliment to Rabbi Chorny’s
course on the most influential Jewish
Figures in History, Rabbi Elson will
explore …
The life, impact and contributions of three
prominent Jewish military figures in
American history:
Commodore Uria Levy
Lt. Col. Robert (Rosie) Rosenthal
Admiral Hyman Rickover
Friday Evening
6:15 p.m. - Kabbalat Shabbat Service
7:00 p.m. - Catered Shabbat Dinner
8:00 p.m. - Lecture
Cost per person $36
R.S.V.P. by calling the Synagogue Office 239-434-1818
Saturday Morning
9:30 a.m. - Shabbat Morning Service followed by a
special kiddush luncheon
Rabbi Elson’s presentations can be streamed through our website and via zoom
We honor Gerald Sager’s ז״ל memory, as Rabbi Elson returns as Scholar in Residence. Jerry was an astute
businessman, who when he saw something needing fixing, he made sure that it was taken care of! We have
enjoyed the Scholar in Residence programs for all of these years since Jerry’s passing thanks to his foresight
and generosity. In 2014, Beth Tikvah received a considerable bequest from Jerry and we continue to honor
his memory through the S.I.R. Program which has now grown to a series of multiple Scholars.

Office Hours:
Get your NJFF TICKETS at
NaplesJewishFilmFestival.org
Remember Lunch-N-Learn with
Rabbi Chorny life’s Tuesdays joys & celebrations
12:15 P.M.
Dedicate new leaves in commemoration of
Monday through Thursday
from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m
Fridays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Join
✺
Rabbi Chorny
for his weekly discussion
group, Tuesdays at
12:15 p.m. via
Rabbi’s Office Hours:
and IN Person
Share the news of your Simchas with us…
• Birth of a grandchild
• Marriage of a child
• Bat/Bar Mitzvah in the family
contact Lee Henson: lHenson13@GMAIL.COM
“...rautn vhfnu`u vc ohehzjnk thv ohhj Jg”
“She is a tree of life to those who embrace her;
those who hold her tight are happy…” Prov. 3:18
Tuesdays and Thursdays
from 10 a.m. to noon.
Or call his cell (239) 537-5257 to
make an appointment.
WITH
Beth Tikvah of Naples
1459 Pine Ridge Road
Naples, FL 34109
239 434-1818
Visit us online at
bethtikvahnaples.org
or scan the QR code
to go there directly